Yahoo Top 10: It was a Survival Saturday for some CFP contenders, smooth sailing for others
The country’s five unbeaten College Football Playoff contenders escaped unscathed from Survival Saturday in Week 11.
Two of them, Ohio State and Georgia, won comfortably. A third, Michigan, pulled away in the second half. And two more, Washington and Florida State, survived late threats.
The Final Five, we’ll call them, outlasted their opponents and here they sit, undefeated, with two games left in the regular season. There remains a chance for them to make the CFP selection committee’s decision in three weeks oh-so easy: Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC and ACC teams could all still go undefeated.
Of course, there is the chaos scenario, where two one-loss teams from the SEC, Big Ten and Pac-12 are in the mix for a spot, along with one-loss Big 12 champion Texas. We root for chaos here.
But during Survival Saturday, we unfortunately had none of it. Let’s get to the Top Ten!
1. Ohio State
This week: won 38-3 vs. Michigan State
Next week: vs. Minnesota
Best win: vs. Penn State
The Marvin Harrison Jr. Heisman Train is picking up serious steam. The Buckeyes receiving star had a seventh 100-yard game in 10 games this season and a fourth game with multiple touchdowns. Few cornerbacks in the country can cover the son of the former Indianapolis Colts standout (you feel old, right?). One more game stands in the way of the unbeaten, top-5 showdown in The Game.
2. Georgia
This week: won 52-17 vs. Ole Miss
Next week: at Tennessee
Best win: vs. Ole Miss
UGA seemed ho-hum for much of this season, not necessarily looking like the world-beating, two-time reigning national champion that we’re used to. Think again! The Bulldogs got back-to-back top-15 wins, including an absolute whipping of Ole Miss on Saturday, to show the country that they are, in fact, still very good. Very, very good in fact.
3. Washington
This week: won 35-28 vs. Utah
Next week: at Oregon State
Best win: vs. Oregon
The Utes held three different first-half leads before QB Michael Penix and the Huskies secured things in the second half. Penix threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns. While that’s the norm, it’s Washington’s defense that, surprisingly, pitched a second-half shutout — and got a safety! Is UW’s D rounding into form at just the right time?
4. Michigan
This week: won 24-15 at Penn State
Next week: at Maryland
Best win: at Penn State
Up to this week, the Wolverines had played next to nobody. Their toughest test was a home game against a 6-4 Rutgers team. Finally, Michigan played a top-25 team this year. And it came without its head coach in a rocking Beaver Stadium and against one of the country’s best defenses. Have no fear, however. Interim coach Sherrone Moore and Michigan’s rushing game quieted the crowd plenty enough.
5. Florida State
This week: won 27-20 vs. Miami
Next week: vs. North Alabama
Best win: vs. LSU
A tie game at halftime, the Seminoles nearly blew a late two-touchdown lead before relying on their defense to close out Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes. It’s not always pretty with this FSU team and its strength of schedule continues to slide (not really its fault), but, hey, the Noles are 10-0 for the first time since 2014!
6. Oregon
This week: won 36-27 vs. USC
Next week: at Arizona State
Best win: at Utah
Bo Nix began the game completing his first two passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. Yes, you read that correctly. The Ducks jumped in front early and fended off a USC team that now has four losses with one game left.
7. Texas
This week: won 29-26 vs. TCU
Next week: at Iowa State
Best win: at Alabama
The Longhorns are cardiac kids. They’ve won their last two games each by three points, survived a scare from Houston to win by seven and needed a second-half rally against Wyoming. Whew! Our trust in Texas continues to slip. Standing in the way of a Big 12 title game appearance is Iowa State and then Texas Tech.
8. Alabama
This week: won 49-21 at Kentucky
Next week: vs. Chattanooga
Best win: vs. Ole Miss
Nick Saban warned his team that a morning kickoff on the road in Lexington could pose as the ole “trap game” for the Crimson Tide. He was, as it turned out, very wrong. Bama led 21-0 before the first quarter ended, and QB Jalen Milroe continued to excel both through the air (three TDs) and on the ground (three more TDs).
9. Oregon State
This week: won 62-17 at Stanford
Next week: vs. Washington
Best win: vs. Utah
Did you know that the Beavers control their own titles hopes to reach the Pac-12 championship game? Well, they do. Head coach Jonathan Smith has done wonders in Corvallis and he may be one of the most sought-after coaches of the hiring cycle. His decision to bring in QB DJ Uiagalelei was one of the more brilliant portal pickups. A Clemson transfer, Uiagalelei hasn’t thrown an interception in the last five games.
10. Missouri
This week: won 36-7 vs. Tennessee
Next week: vs. Florida
Best win: vs. Kansas State
Who’d have thought coach Eli Drinkwitz would have the Tigers on the cusp of their first double-digit win season since 2014. While some questioned his future as Missouri’s coach entering the season, Drinkwitz may be in line for another raise at this rate. In their pummeling of the Volunteers, QB Brady Cook threw for 275 yards and RB Cody Schrader topped the 200-yard rushing mark.
